How To Solve Linear Equations By Graphing

How To Solve Linear Equations By Graphing The solution of a linear equation: - We say that x=m, y=n is a solution of ax+by+c=0. How to solve linear equations by graphing: - i) Express y in terms of x. ii) Choose at least two convenient values of x and find the corresponding values of y, satisfying the given equation. iii) Write down these values of x and y in the form of a table. iv) Plot the order pairs (x, y) from the table on a graph paper. v) Join these points by a straight line and extend it in both the directions. This line is the graph of the equation a x + b y + c = 0. Example: - Draw the graph of the equation 2 x y + 3. Using the graph, find the value of y, when x = - 2. Solution: - 2 x y + 3 = 0 implies y = 2 x + 3 When x = 0, then y = 2 * 0 + 3 = 3 When x = 1, then y = 2 * 1 + 3 = 5 X 0 1 Y 3 5 Now, plot the points A (0, 3) and B (1, 5) on a graph paper. Join AB and extend it in both directions. Then, the line AB is the required graph of 2 x y + 3 = 0. Given: x = -2. Take a point M on the x-axis such that OM=-2. Draw MP, parallel to the y-axis, cutting the line AB at P. Clearly PM=-1. Therefore x = -2, then y = -1

What is Pattern Making

What is Pattern Making Pattern Making: the First Step in Clothing ChaptersClothing Before PatternsPattern-Making ParticularsThe Tricky Science of SizingPattern-Making for Non-Clothing ItemsWe are so lucky! We take it for granted that our trousers have two legs of equal width and length and that our shirts button up evenly. We don’t even need to constantly tug one sleeve down to match the other!You might think that this is such an obvious thing to remark upon but it wasn’t so long ago that merely draping oneself in a piece of cloth and cinching a belt to hold it closed was standard attire.In some parts of the world, it still is: think of India’s flowing saris, for instance, or the traditional kimono of Japan, held together by its obi.There is a science to making clothes to fit the body; clothes that are ‘even’ on both sides. It is called pattern-making.As you may have guessed, that statement only applies to roughly the last 150 years. Before that time, all sewing was bespoke; done by hand and made to order.Even that is not exactly true.Onl y the wealthy could afford tailor-made clothing; everyone else made do as best they could. As you might imagine, those results might not have been… even.What really revolutionised the clothing industry â€" indeed, what turned clothing into an industry was the sewing machine.The first working sewing machine caused a riot. Angry tailors, fearing for their future income, burned down the shop of one sewing machine inventor and nearly killed him.Fortunately, we’ve moved past those days; now we live in a time where we can buy all the clothes we want without having to endure multiple fittings at the dressmakers’ or tailors’, with a reasonable assurance that the clothes will be properly cut and sewn.Besides the sewing machine, what makes such extravagance possible? Sewing patterns!Today, your Superprof takes a look behind the actual making of clothes to see how they are measured and cut, how they are sized and why there really is no ‘one size fits well’ in off-the-rack clothing. Find and take sewing courses on Superprof.Before the mid-19th Century, outside of the royal court, sewing was pretty much for practical purposes only.Nobody had the time to sit around, dreaming of dazzling garments, nor did they have the money to buy shimmering cloth with which to make said garments.  To say nothing of the fact that the average person had no need of shimmering garments.The Industrial Revolution changed all of that.It didn’t give people reasons to wear nice clothing but it made the possibility of clothing being more than just serviceable.Machines could now produce low-cost bolts of cloth from which many articles of clothing could be made and factories sprang up to mass-produce clothing. They were able to do so thanks to pattern-makers.Discover how you too can make your own clothes patterns... A dressmaking form is a way to get a look at how well the dress will drape Image by Lara Gonzalo from PixabayPattern-Making ParticularsMass-producing clothing for men in varying sizes was really not so difficult; measurements are pretty straightforward and nothing gets draped.Women’s clothing, on the other hand, proves a far greater challenge. Besides the greater variety of styles in women's clothing,  things get much more complicated because there is no hard-and-fast ratio of the bust-waist-hip measurement.That is why clothes-making was soon standardised through the use of patterns. These patterns are meant to accommodate body measurements of the average-sized person.To be more exact, two main pattern-making techniques were designed.The Flat PatternPattern drafting starts with a set of measurements.Let’s say you want to make a pattern from which all of your future clothing will be made from. You will need to take exact measurements of your:Neck, measuring at its basechest (bust) : wrap the measuring tape around your chest at nipple heightshoulder width: from shoulder to shoulder, across the yokesleeve length: measure both arms from shoulder to wristyou will also have to measure your biceps and wrist!Waist: measure the fullest part, if possiblehips: here also, you should target the fullest parthalf-length: from the base of your neck to the top of the hipsAnd so you would continue, measuring your inseam, outer seam, thigh girth and so on.Once you have all of these measurements, you would plot a sloper; a basic outline of your measurements.In fact, you may want an upper and lower sloper and, if you anticipate making skirts and dresses, you might make a narrow skirt sloper. Don’t worry, you can always embellish it later!The point of having a sloper is that you have a basic outline from which to make patterns. You might think of your slope as a two-dimensional dressmaker dummy.You may also want to make it on something more resilient than paper; maybe paperboar d or even a thin sheet of Teflon.Once you have created this more durable slope, its name changes to ‘block’. You can make free sewing patterns from your own blocks Image by Maatkare from PixabayThe Draping MethodIf you’ve ever undertaken any sewing projects that called for draping cloth over a dress form, then you are already familiar with this method of making clothing patterns.As its name implies, one simply drapes muslin over this form until the desired look is achieved, after which the design is transferred to paper to create a slope or the cloth itself becomes the pattern.Using such a form is especially effective if you want to learn how to make your own dress patterns because it gives you a three-dimensional look at how the dress will drape and flow.The Tricky Science of SizingIf you endeavour to make clothing for yourself or members of your family, you will encounter one obvious stumbling block: not everyone is the same size. Or shape, for that matter.How do clothiers use a slope or block to make clothing suitable for everyone? That is where sizing â€" grading is the industry word for it, comes in.To make a graded shirt pattern, for instance, you would first trace your block onto pattern paper.Then, using the centre line, the measurement that reaches from the base of the neck to the top of the hips as a baseline, expand or shrink the straight seams as needed.Straight seams include the bottom line of the shirt and its sides. They are the best place to start grading because they run parallel and perpendicular to the centre line.Once you expand/contract the sides of the shirt, you must also modify the armhole. For that, you would take away from the side seam â€" the lower part of the sleeve opening, rather than from the shoulder.You would surely need a French curve ruler to make sure the bow of the armhole keeps its proportion in relation to the shirt's grading.The neckline is another tricky measure to grade; here too you would have to rely on geometry to make your adjustments.It is important to know that slopes and blocks do not include any seam allowances so, as you adjust your pattern for size, do not forget to add an inch or two for this allowance.Grading a pattern is not complicated; you may get a better idea of how to do it by looking at a Butterick pattern… You can learn how to sew and make patterns by following a quilt pattern Image by engin akyurt from PixabayPattern-Making for Non-Clothing ItemsThe days when sewing was considered an essential skill are gone. Today, few practise home sewing and children do not learn to sew in schools anymore â€" at least, not public schools.A recent poll indicates that rather than sew a button back on or mend a tear, most people would discard the item of clothing to buy a new summer dress and buying sewing supplies would never cross their minds.Still, there is room for hope, judging by the number of Vogue patterns being bought and the sewing tutorials being watched online.So maybe, instead of starting with an ambitious sewing project like a sundress or a gathered skirt, you could start by sewing something you won’t wear but may still display.You could start with bag patterns. Sewing a unique tote bag would give you a good idea on how to measure and cut, how to follow a pattern… and you may even le arn how to grade from a bag pattern.Once you know how to sew bags, you could move on to something larger.You might opt for a quilt pattern, for instance. A simple Internet search will turn up free patterns that you could download and execute â€" probably not in time to make holiday gifts this year but certainly by next year…When you feel you are ready to start making clothing, you might start with doll clothes.True, the sizes are scaled down dramatically but, once you get the hang of sewing those tiny clothes, you can look forward to buying your first sewing pattern and make something for yourself.In all, learning how to make patterns for sewing is not difficult and, once you gain the skills necessary to do it, there’ll be no stopping you!Now, learn all about pattern-making for fashion design…

When Did Latin Die (Did It Ever, Really)

When Did Latin Die (Did It Ever, Really) What Happened to Latin? ChaptersThe History of Latin: The Origins of the LanguageClassical Latin and Vulgar LatinLatin to the RenaissanceThe Birth of ItalianHow Come the Catholic Church Speaks Latin Now?Did Latin Ever Really Die?Examples of Italian Words Similar to LatinWhy Bother Learning Latin?You probably are aware that the Romans spoke Latin.  You probably also know that the Italians are the descendants of the Romans.However, if you’ve studied both languages, you’ll have noticed that they’re quite different to one another.How did Latin turn into Italian over the years?  Why did Latin change so much and become the Italian we know today? When did people stop speaking Latin - and why? Discover the history of learning Italian with us.It turns out that a lot can happen over the course of 2,000 years. Hopefully, this article should have the answers you’re looking for.Latin comes from the Italic languages. The Italic languages were generally spoken in what is now Italy.Latin was never the only language spoken in the region. In fact, the whole area was home to plenty of different peoples and languages.Italy has always been a fertile land for language. (Source: pixabay.com)Let’s go back to the 6th century BC.The Italic people we’re interested in resided in the centre and the south of Italy. At the time, this region was known as Latium. This area currently is home to the Vatican.The Italic languages, like almost every language spoken in Europe, are members of the Indo-European language family.  This includes a lot of languages that have since disappeared as well as languages such as Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Romanian.It should be noted that while the Italic languages were spoken around what we now call Italy, the speakers of the Italic languages weren’t originally from Italy.According to historians, they emigrated from the Balkans around 1500AD. Certain specialists think that the group that occupied Italy before them were the Ligures who are thought to be an It alo-Celtic people.Before the foundation of Rome in 753AD, we believe that the Italic languages were heavily influenced by Greek and Estrucans.Once Rome was created it became hugely important in spreading the Latin language around the region.  Latin inherited 6 of the 8 grammatical cases from the Indo-European languages.Including:The Genitive: used for possessionThe Vocative: used for addressing or calling peopleThe Accusative: used for the object of the verbThe Dative: used for nouns that are to or for somethingThe Ablative: used with nouns that are by, with, or from somethingThe Nominative: used for the subject of the verbClassical Latin and Vulgar LatinBefore speaking about Classical and Vulgar Latin, we need to look at Old Latin which was spoken until around the 1st century BC.Old Latin: Evolution and DeclineAfter the foundation of Rome and its expansion, Latin began to spread across the regions occupied.Thanks to colonisation, it reached as far as the limits of Western Europe, A sia Minor, and North Africa.The Romans left more than just words. (Source: pixabay.com)By the 3rd century BC, Latin was the official language of the Roman Republic.  It was used by the Roman administration as well as for law, politics, and religion.  While it coexisted with Greek dialects, Latin quickly took over the other languages.  This is due to leaders forbidding their people from speaking Greek in favour of Latin.Classical Latin entered its golden age between 75BC and 14AD when Latin literature played an important role in its propagation.  The two centuries that followed could be called Classical Latin’s silver age.While Rome was responsible for the spread of Latin, the fall of the Western Roman Empire led to its decline.How did we get from Classical Latin to Vulgar Latin?Before the Huns arrived from the East and forced migration to the West, the Roman Empire was weakening.  In the 5th century, some Germanic peoples were taking control of areas of Italy. The Eastern Roman Em pire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, survived the attacks and Greek culture began to spread.However, Latin only declined moderately. Latin's tough. It can roll with the punches.  We could say that rather than disappearing, Latin transformed when it came into contact with other languages (such as the Germanic languages).Furthermore, Classic Latin was used by leaders, intellectuals, and writers. The colonists and soldiers, on the other hand, spoke the Latin of the people, commonly referred to as Vulgar Latin. Think about the difference between standard English - used by politicians and academics and in written texts - and the language that we actually speak: there's quite a difference.Vulgar LatinVulgar Latin gave rise to a number of different languages: the Romance languages and Italian, namely.While already in decline in the 2nd century, Classical Latin became less important while the opposite was true for Vulgar Latin.  In fact, scribes and clerks began to rewrite civil and re ligious documents into Vulgar Latin which would take over Classical Latin.Classical Latin (which wasn’t in use by the people) lost its lustre once the empire collapsed. Since the connections between Rome and the other cities were complicated, the region began to fracture linguistically as there was no standardised form of the language for people to use.  However, the Romans did put the Latin alphabet into common use and nowadays is used by tonnes of languages all over the world.Latin to the RenaissanceWith the arrival of new peoples over the centuries, Latin transformed and evolved.By the 5th century, Italy was under invasion by the Ostrogoths.  In 6th century, the Lombards had a go. The Francs, under the reign of Charlemagne, came to Italy in the 8th century. We should also mention that Southern Italy was under the control of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslims.The large number of different cultures allowed the language to take on new terms.Medieval LatinBetween the 9th and 14th centuries there was Medieval Latin.  While Latin started to become less and less popular, priests and intellectuals still used it. They’d add new terms from Hebrew and Greek.And so, in the Middle Ages, you'd see a strange phenomenon in which, whilst nobody actually spoke the language - as they rather spoke the regional derivations of Latin - the Church and the Holy Roman Empire (Charlemagne's power) used the language in all of their official correspondence and records. In fact, Charlemagne promoted the use of the Latin language and literature in what became known as the Carolingian Renaissance.Consequently, the 'dead' language spread into territories that never had a history of speaking Latin, such as the German states. This was due to the fact that the Holy Roman Empire over which Charlemagne ruled conquered new states - and so officials and authorities in his extended kingdom were required to follow the desires of the Emperor.Yet, during this period, the nature of Latin was cha nging: Latin grammar, pronunciation, syntax, and vocabulary all changed, with different users, contact with each vernacular, and a move towards greater clarity, such as the use of the preposition.Renaissance LatinDuring the Renaissance (between the 14th and 16th centuries), we see the development of a cultural force known as Renaissance humanism.  This was a movement - in line with the Renaissance's broader project of the 'rebirth' of classical forms - that paid close attention to the study of classical antiquity. Many of those involved in the movement - such as Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Bracciolini - were collectors of antique manuscripts, and they were known for promoting classical models for the art and literature of the day.  However, the Latin that they studied and promoted was put promoted in opposition to what was Medieval Latin: they didn't so much like the then contemporary Latin with all its changes and developments than the 'proper' Latin spoken by the ancient Romans. For example, they looked to writers such as Cicero and Virgil as their models.  The importance of this movement cannot be overstated - as, all across Europe, Latin came to be taught in the humanist style. You find people like Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe having to learn the Latin of Virgil in London.  This language came to be known  as Renaissance Latin - and, whilst it was never spoken by the people as such, this language was written by diplomats, artists, politicians, and philosophers throughout the period.We know at some point that the Italian language we know today took over from written and spoken Latin.Placiti CassinesiThe earliest documents we have of written Italian come from the late tenth century - and they are rather prosaic. They are legal documents regarding a dispute between some monasteries and a landowner about fifty miles south of Rome.Rather than in Latin - in which most other legal documents were still being written at this time - these texts, known as the Plac iti Cassinesi, are written in a vernacular. They show a distinct difference from Latin, moving away from Latin grammar and with different spellings and syntax and new words. The dialect in which they are written developed straight out of the vulgar Latin we discussed above.The Renaissance and Italian VernacularWe can point to the Renaissance and Florentine writers such as Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch as a significant turning point in the death of Latin as the language of culture in Europe.Whilst these writers promoted classical culture and Latin as models and benchmarks of literary quality - and although they wrote in Latin too - these writers were also the first to compose poetry in the vernacular, meaning in the local language.Dante's Divine Comedy is one of the works responsible for making unifying Italy's linguistic landscape. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)Dante's  The Divine ComedyThanks to his work The Divine Comedy, Dante is one of Italian’s forefathers. The Florentine write r wanted to be understood by everyone and not just by the elite - and this work was one of the first poems ever to be written in something called Italian.  Who wrote in Florentine, a sub-dialect of the Tuscan dialect, and borrowed words from Latin, French, Lombard, and Provençal.  His goal was to show that everyday language was as noble as Latin - and his work  De vulgari eloquentia  (ironically, a defence of the value of the vernacular written in Latin) explained his decision.His gamble paid off since a number of other poets followed in his footsteps  - including Petrarch. And inspired by this vernacular poetry, writers across Europe moved away from Latin too: Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower as examples.  The First Italian DictionaryHowever, 'Italian' as such was still far from existing at this point. Dante was writing in a dialect - in a peninsula in which there were nearly a thousand such dialects.It wasn't until 1612 that the first Italian dictionary was published, by a institu tion in Rome called the Academia della Crusca. Their  Vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca, one of the first dictionaries in the world,  was an attempt to formalise the Florentine dialect (the language in which Dante was writing) and this became the basis for standard Italian subsequently.As Florence was such an important city state from the time of Dante into the seventeenth century, it was this Tuscan dialect that proved most influential in the development of the Italian language. Even today, Italian is based on this dialect - much as 'standard' English is based on the dialect spoken around London from the time of Chaucer.Modern ItalianBy 1861, when Italy was finally unified as a country, only 2.5% of the population could speak Italian. Everyone still spoke regional dialects.As the country entered into political union, 'Italian' became the language of the state - and so the common language of the people in the peninsula.It is thought that Alessandro Manzoni's novel  The Betro thed, published in 1827, set the basis for modern Italian.Tempted to type  Italian classes near me in google?   Save time and head straight to Superprof to connect with local tutors now.How Come the Catholic Church Speaks Latin Now?Bit by bit, Latin became the language of religion rather than of the people. Whilst, after the 16th century, we use the term New Latin (or Neo-Latin) to refer the Latin being used in international science, we use 'Ecclesiastical Latin' to refer to that spoken by the Catholic Church.  But now, Latin is only spoken in the Vatican as an official language. The reason for this is that the Church was, back in the Middle Ages, one of the main promoters of Latin as a language. Part of the demand of the Reformation in the sixteenth century was that church ceremony be performed in the vernacular.  Consequently, a strong attachment to Latin can be seen in the Roman Catholic Church. It wasn't until the 1960s that the Church allowed mass to be performed in languages o ther than Latin! However, even now, all official documents are written in Latin.Interestingly enough, whilst they speak Latin in the Vatican, pronunciation is based on Italian - so they may not be as different as they might seem!Did Latin Ever Really Die?The answer to this question is yes and no - and it is very hard to identify a precise moment at which it died definitively. Scholars make the helpful distinction between  extinct  languages - which no-one speaks - and  dead ones, which no longer has a native community that speaks it. In this sense, Latin is a dead language, but it has been dead for a very long time.Rather, the history of Latin is one of change: the populations speaking the language changed, Latin pronunciation and grammar changed, and it was heavily manipulated and reformed by the whims of different intellectual currents throughout history.But Latin, clearly, never became extinct - not in the same way as languages like Etruscan or Phoenician, for example. Rather, it remained as a language - at least, as a language that is studied and recognised - due to European culture's continued respect, not to say adoration, for the classical culture of ancient Rome.Throughout history, cultural movements and political powers strove to legitimise their own cultures and authority by appealing to the memory of ancient Rome. So, the Holy Roman Empire chose its name to hark back to that ancient culture - and there is no surprise that it was Charlemagne who had such an effect on the revival of the language.Similarly, figures during the Renaissance in Italy sought to give their artistic works a greater authority by returning to the models of ancient culture - and this in turn returned Latin to the centre of artistic production.This concern for ancient Rome continued long after this - with Roman architecture being the inspiration for cities such as Edinburgh long into the nineteenth century. With such an attention to the culture of the ancients, Latin is very unli kely ever to go fully extinct.You could also look at the history of Hebrew, a language that was successfully brought back from the dead when the state of Israel adopted it as its official language.Examples of Italian Words Similar to LatinLatin still has a huge influence on Italian vocabulary.To prove our point, we’ve put together a list of a few Latin terms and their almost-identical Italian counterparts.Here’s a non-exhaustive list, with the Italian listed first, followed by its Latin root and English translations:ItalianLatinEnglishAccelerareAccelerareAccelerateBibliotecaBibliothecaLibraryCalamitàCalamitasCalamity/DisasterDiplomaDiplomaDiplomaEnciclopediaEnciclopediaEncyclopaediaFondamentaleFundamentalisFundamentalGladiatoreGladiatorGladiatorIndeterminatoIndeterminatusUndeterminedLacrimaLacrimaTearMaggiordomoMajor domusButlerNegoziatoreNegotiatorNegotiatorOccasionareOccasionariCausePacificazionePacifiicatioPacificationQuerimoniaQuerimoniaLamentationThe are tonnes of expressi ons in Latin that have made their way into English, too.Latin also gave us our alphabet. (Source: pixabay.com)Why Bother Learning Latin?People still learn Latin today, and not just those people who are working in the Catholic Church, nor those who have chosen to study classical history or the history of medieval or early modern Europe.Rather, kids are still taught Latin at a lot of schools. Most famously, children at public schools learn the subject - but it is not uncommon in state schools too. If you are one of these people, you might benefit from a Latin tutor.If you are not one of them, you might wonder why you would ever bother learning Latin. But we've already told you that  Latin ain’t yet an extinct language - and it comes in useful a lot.  Help to Understand Your Own LanguageIf you love Italian culture and the lingua italiana, you can see how Latin can help you better understand your Italian lessons (as well as a number of English words).  It can help you learn Italian in school or in private tutorials or learn Italian online  - and it will help you make sense of  why  particularly rules are to be found in the language, as you will notice that all of the irregular aspects of the language come straight out of the Latin.  But it can also help you to understand French, Portuguese, Romanian, any of the Italian dialects - and even English, a language that has been influenced by Latin to a perhaps surprisingly huge extent. If you are interested in grammar, etymology (the history of the meaning of words), or syntax - pretty much any aspect of linguistics - a knowledge of Latin will be pretty essential.Develop Your Knowledge of History - and the History of LiteratureLatin tutorials won't only help you with your knowledge of language. But they could help you to understand ancient history better too. In studying Latin, you will be looking at the most important texts written in the language. And these so happen to be hugely important historical documents that help us understand what on earth was going on in the world back then as well. You can't study the Romans in any detail - or antiquity in general - without a pretty solid understanding of the Latin language.Finally then, knowing Latin also helps your understanding of literature. So, if you are a poetry nerd, you'll probably be thinking, where do we get all our literary forms, poetic themes and concerns, and motifs from? The answer to that is ancient literature - including Latin, but also Greek. So, if you want to develop your knowledge, Latin is the language to learn.If you’d like to learn Italian culture in general, you should learn Latin as it was used by Virgil.  Learn the Italian basics with our blog for Italian for beginners.   A private tutor can help you get the bases of the Italian language:Italian courses LondonItalian lessons GlasgowItalian lessons Birmingham

How to Handle Rejection in College Admissions

How to Handle Rejection in College Admissions The following piece was written by Kofi Kankam. Kofi has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former admissions interviewer for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Admit Advantage. Well, I want to start by making it clear that not all acceptance letters from colleges come in large manila envelopes, so you shouldnt be grief-stricken at the sight of what appears to be the dreaded denial letter. In fact, many colleges send a single acceptance letter followed by a larger envelope detailing next steps and early aid offers. And in some cases, the process may be completely electronic. That being said, suppose you do find yourself the recipient of the gut-wrenching, thanks-but-no-thanks letter? The first thing, I am happy to report, is that life will in fact go on. Will you be upset? Likely. Will you be devastated? Possibly. Does the possibility still exist for you to go on to lead a happy, productive life? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. And here is how you do it. Foremost, understand and recognize that you are so much more significant than a college acceptance. The entire college application process can be anxiety-provoking and angst-ridden, leading you to a state of vulnerability you are likely experiencing for the first time. I liken it to that first day of kindergarten when you know no one and hope that just one person is compassionate and brave enough to inquire: do you want to be my friend? Isnt this what we all pine for in our outreach efforts to the colleges to which we submit our applications? Here, you have recalled and recounted every important detail of your life for the past three years, desperately hoping that it is enough. I am here to tell you that it is. Hopefully, your college research and application process led you to discover that there isnt just one school out there for you or one path for you to pursue. So, if you find yourself in the position of being denied admission to one of your top choices, here are some tips that may help you get through this rough patch: Be open to acceptance letters that may be forthcoming. Do not allow yourself to be so distraught and jaded about one rejection letter that you miss out on opportunities that await you at other schools. Consider a gap year. There is no golden rule that requires students to enter college directly after high school. Frankly, some students, for a variety of reasons, are not ready for college immediately following high school graduation. There are tons of programmatic offerings out there for students to pursue, from volunteering to traveling and using the downtime to perhaps work, earn extra money for college, and devise a plan for applying to schools that will optimally meet their needs. Yes, there is a primetime network television show that pokes fun at community college, but many such institutions have a plentitude of courses that could essentially serve two functions: get you a feel for the kind of material youd like to study once you matriculate at a four-year institution, and potentially earn credits that are transferable to many four-year schools. When all else fails, transfer. So, you have opened your mind to the possibilities that exist beyond your dream school and committed to attending another college only to find that youre miserable there. Once youre sure youve given the school a fair shot (and not merely set the expectation of misery only to meet it), you should thoughtfully go about researching and investigating other schools that may be a good fit. The advantage that youll have this time around is that you will already have one collegiate experience under your belt. You should use this experience as the basis for conducting a thorough assessment of why you were unable to find and create happiness on that campus. If you dont, you will truly be doing yourself a disservice and may end up navigating similar waters at a different university. If you are reading this posting, it is likely that things didnt turn out as you had hoped, and you have my full sympathy. However, I hope you feel some sense of comfort in knowing that you share this space with the likes of Ted Turner, Warren Buffet, and Tom Brokaw, all of whom were also the recipients of small envelopes and ultimately went on to thrive in their respective lives. Visit Admit Advantage for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Big LSAT Changes in 2018

Big LSAT Changes in 2018 LSAT Law School Blog The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) is a monolithic and conservative entity befitting a gatekeeper of legal academia. However, it’s beginning to be forced to change with the times in the face of some significant challenges. The number of LSATs administered annually has declined by more than a third this decade from 170,000+ at the end of the 2009-10 testing year to fewer than 110,000 during the 2016-17 testing year. Then came the news that, beginning with applications submitted in the fall of 2017, Harvard Law will accept the GRE as an acceptable alternative to the LSAT for incoming applicants. Over the summer, the LSAT made two big changes to try and make their exam more attractive to potential law students. First, they expanded the number of LSATs offered annually from four to six administrations beginning with the 2018-19 testing year. Second, they announced that there will no longer be any limit on the number of LSATs that can be taken over a two-year period. Now, they have announced that, as of the February 2018 exam, there will no longer be a late registration deadline or an accompanying late registration fee. Still, the challenges to the LSATs law school applications monopoly continue to mount. Most notably, the GRE continues to be a threat as more than a dozen law schools have announced this year that they will follow Harvard Law’s lead by accepting the GRE for future applicants. Additionally, the LSAT is often viewed as an antiquated (paper) exam that has changed so little in the past two decades that students can still prep with books containing exams that are old enough to drink! Going Digital? In October, the LSAC conducted the second of two tablet-based digital LSAT field tests that were offered this past year to prospective law students. In exchange for a refund check for the full cost of a future actual LSAT, interested students were subjected to an unofficial exam that provided an official exam experience and a detailed performance report, but that was not eligible for reporting to any prospective law schools. The LSAC has been seriously exploring a digital option since developing a tablet-based prototype in 2013 and there are two major potential benefits of a digital LSAT that should excite potential law students: It could significantly shorten the current timeframe for score reporting, by eliminating the need to manually grade individual scantrons It might open the LSAT administration calendar to beyond even the already expanded six test dates a year to something more akin to the nearly daily-offered GRE 2,000 test-takers were eligible for the October trial, which included five unpublished 35-minute sections of actual LSAT questions and a writing sample. However, holding a thousand-person pilot in May and then doubling the scope only five months later begs the question, is the last holdout of the digital test revolution joining a club that hasn’t expanded since the MCAT went computer-based in 2007? Time will tell, but if you are a potential law student you must keep up to date on the exam and make sure you are preparing for a near-term exam. As GMAT students know, the rules can change immediately like they did this summer when the GMAC suddenly announced a major formatting change to a choose-your-own-section-order model. Should You Take the LSAT or the GRE? As the GMAC also knows, once the GRE shows up to a party it never really goes away. Since sidling into the business school admissions market in 2006 when MIT’s Sloan’s School of Business began accepting it as a GMAT alternative, the GRE’s acceptance rate has grown to the point where it is now accepted at 92% of all business schools. That said, there is one major impediment to the GRE attempting the same kind of law school coup â€" the American Bar Association. The ABA has yet to rule whether the GRE satisfies its requirement that accredited law schools “require an admissions test that assesses applicants’ capabilities,” and no time-table, as yet, has been given for such a decision. So, for now, unless you are absolutely certain that you will apply only to one of the currently listed GRE-accepting law schools and in the near-term prior to the ABA’s ultimate ruling, your best bet remains to take the LSAT if you are going to law school. Of course, if you’re taking the LSAT or the GRE, MyGuru is here to help you prep to beat any test you are up against! About the Author Stefan Maisnier is one of our most experienced test prep and LSAT tutors, as well as our Director of Online Tutoring.

SAT Subject Test Prep What You Need to Know - Private Tutoring

SAT Subject Test Prep What You Need to Know Anna L Jul 15, 2019 Part of getting ready for applying to colleges includes taking several tests, and usually requires some SAT subject test prep as well. College applications can be stressful, and they can be made even more so by deciding which of the many tests you should take in order to give yourself the best shot at acceptance and success. To many, the SAT subject test may seem like just another to test to take and get worried about. However, SAT subject tests are a great way to show off your skills and strengths to potential colleges. That being said, they still require adequate preparation. Keep reading to find out how to sky rocket your SAT test prep to get the results your are looking for. SAT Subject Test Prep How to Get the Best Results The first step in your preparation is to actually choose your subjects. The SAT subject tests are the only national admissions tests that you get to choose which topics you will take â€" so it’s wise to select subjects that showcase your strengths. Check in with your guidance counselor and teachers for their advice, but also make sure to consider these three tips as well: Your interests â€" if you like something, you are generally pretty good at it. You are also likely to be prepared to spend time revising content and practicing questions on topics that you enjoy. College requirements â€" some colleges and courses will require you to have completed a specific SAT subject test. Make sure to check if any of your schools do have requirements and what they may be. Your classroom experience â€" if you have taken the subject and completed the recommended course work, you are far more likely to succeed when taking the subject test. Some schools even have part of the course time spent on covering the tests. You Might Also Be Interested In: How to Study for the New SAT at Home â€" In a Week to a Month The SAT subject tests are offered six times within the academic year, with the exception of Languages with Learning. This test can only be taken in November. The subject tests take place on the same days as the SAT, but not all subjects tests may be offered at every center on every date. Therefore, it is wise to do your research to find out exactly when your preferred subject tests are given and where its possible to take them. You can sit for up to three subject tests on any give day, but cannot sit the SAT and an SAT subject test on the same day. Getting confused? Basically, decide what subject tests are best for you, look at the test timetable, take into consideration when you’ll be sitting the SAT, and go from there. You can find more accurate information regarding dates here. How to Decide When to Take SAT Subject Tests Aside from any restrictions due to test availability, you totally have free choice as to when you can sit your SAT subject tests. Naturally, there are many factors to consider, so here are three tips: Take the test as soon as possible after you have completed the course and all the recommended work. This is because all the information is fresh in your mind, and you can get the test out of the way in order to focus on the many other tests you will need to take. The only exception here are languages. Thats not a test to take after one year of studying the language. Keep working on your language skills for a couple of years to really refine your understanding   in order to successfully take the test. Make sure you meet any application deadlines. Some colleges have different deadlines, especially if you are applying for early action. Do your research early to allow yourself time to prepare for the test, take it AND have the schools receive it before they review your application. Check you calendar! Work around existing commitments. Take into account any major sporting tournaments, other tests and general coursework, and even social engagements! Planning ahead is key to allowing yourself enough time, spread your workload across the whole year to avoid any unnecessary stress. The Best Subject Test Preparation Every student studies and learns differently, which means there is no ‘one size fits all’ model when it comes to test preparation. However, there are a few general hints and tips that seem to work for just about everybody. Here they are: Hire a tutor â€" if you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times! A tutor is an invaluable way to get the extra support, and sometimes motivation, you need to to succeed on a test. Find a qualified tutor that specializes in the SAT subject tests that you are sitting. Don’t be afraid to shop around to find one that suits both your learning style and your budget. For a comprehensive list of SAT subject   test tutors in your area, check out Private Tutoring at Home. Make the most of your textbooks â€" because the content covered in the SAT subject tests is based on the content covered in your high school courses, you can easily use your existing textbooks to review. This is a good way to save money as you don’t have to buy extra any extra resources. Understand the format and topics covered in each test â€" your tutor will be able to help you here, but you can also check out information on each subject that you are considering Use an SAT subject test prep book â€" when working on your own, using an SAT subject test prep book provides an easy-to-use and cost-effective resource. They are most suited to students who are motivated and can work independently. So make sure that you are up for the independent study and will put the time in that’s needed for the exam preparation. To get the most out of test prep books, you need to be prepared to go through your answers and figure out where you went wrong. This can be tricky to do on your own, so it is best to use the books in conjunction with a tutor. Complete as many practice tests or quizzes as you can â€" These are one of the best ways to really understand the format and style of questions asked. They can provide some of the best SAT subject test preparation, but only when used properly. If you simply complete the test (in timed conditions, of course) you will only marginally improve your results. You need to go through your answers carefully in order to understand where you went wrong and how to improve next time. Some independent learners can do this, others may need the use if a teacher or tutor to really thrive. Preparing for, and sitting, the SAT subject tests should now be a breeze! Use these hints and tips and success is all yours! Find the Best Private Tutors At Reasonable Rates - Get Real Results Fast! Choose Your Subject - Add Your Zip Code - Find Top Rated Tutors Today InPerson or Online Online InPerson

Maths in everyday life

Maths in everyday life If you have kids of primary school age and you want to help them with their Maths, a addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. On top of this there's fractions and geometry to deal with. These topics can actually be found, practised and demonstrated in everyday life. This is great news for children who find Maths too abstract or difficult to grasp in the classroom. By making them see that Maths is something that you use throughout the day, a tutor can make the subject easier to connect with and bring it to life. Take addition and multiplication, for example. At the shops your child could count out money when it's time to pay for something. Older children can be encouraged to add up (or at least estimate!) the cost of the weekly shop as it goes through the till. Even better is getting your child to work out what the change will be, whatever shop they're in. As for geometry, a Maths tutor can really make this fun, especially for younger children. They'll begin to love checkin g the top of open doors and identifying the right-angles. They can also estimate degrees and gradients when walking up steep hills and so on. First Tutors has many Maths specialists who can help make the subject personal and fun. A tutor can really make learning Maths relevant, easy and fun for young children! The main Maths topics that primary school children learn are the classic four: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. On top of this there's fractions and geometry to deal with. These topics can actually be found, practised and demonstrated in everyday life. This is great news for children who find Maths too abstract or difficult to grasp in the classroom. By making them see that Maths is something that you use throughout the day, a tutor can make the subject easier to connect with and bring it to life. Take addition and multiplication, for example. At the shops your child could count out money when it's time to pay for something. Older children can be encouraged to add up (or at least estimate!) the cost of the weekly shop as it goes through the till. Even better is getting your child to work out what the change will be, whatever shop they're in. As for geometry, a Maths tutor can really make this fun, especially for younger children. They'll begin to love checking the top of open doors and identifying the right-angles. They can also estimate degrees and gradients when walking up steep hills and so on. First Tutors has many Maths specialists who can help make the subject personal and fun.

The Sympathy Card

The Sympathy Card Photo from Oprah.com via Google It is a very common and humanistic trait to seek sympathy.   Sympathy is given when others feel sorry for another person because of some sort of occurrence that has happened in their lives.   Sympathy is related to hardships and a person who has overcome hardships is often a respected person, and most people want to be respected and seen as a strong individual.   It is perfectly acceptable to share your experiences with others and to express feelings, longings and trials, but it feels as though “playing the sympathy card” is becoming overused. There is a lot more to be said about a person who does not feel the need to share all their trials because everyone has a story and everyone has at least some sort of trial they have faced in their lives.   Of course, certain people have experienced more unfortunate events than others, but every human being faces some sort of struggle.   Some may experience death of loved ones or poverty while others biggest problems may be fighting with their parents.     Obviously not all issues in life are equal.   But I think the most attractive and brave characteristic a person can have is the humility to not seek sympathy for hardships.   Understanding that, yes, I have had to overcome certain obstacles but yet having the strength to contain the desire inside to want to tell everyone to invoke sympathy.   I am not saying to never share your emotions or feeling, but there is a time and a place to do so and social media sites and in every topic of conversation are not those places.   The stronges t people don’t want sympathy for their hardships but rather respect for how they choose to handle it.   Respect is given to people who don’t wallow in self-pity and go about their lives with a positive attitude.   Isn’t it much more pleasant to be around people who have a passion for life and who are hospitable to others and not absorbed in their own lives. An example of the overused sympathy card was clearly demonstrated in both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.   It is a great annoyance to me when politicians try to say this overused line, “We didn’t have much but what we did have was a goal/dream”.   Yes that is endearing and I am sure that the road it took them to get where they are was not easy, but the sympathy appeal to the middle class that they are trying to get at is not effective because that story is so overused.   There are certain ways of making personal anecdotes effective in speeches, but when it is just simply trying to show that they are “one of us” it comes off as insincere and as though they are trying too hard.   It is difficult to pull off the sympathy card because it is so overused.   That sort of appeal to human emotions may have worked years ago but now, in the political world, it is extremely irritating for politicians to try to get that sympathy when their main focus should be why v oting for them is better than voting for the other guy.   It’s simple and clear but yet so apparently difficult to do because of the inherent desire humans have to get sympathy.